In recent years, the use of wireless communications devices has greatly increased around the world. Specifically, the use of wireless telephones has become commonplace such that many users, or subscribers, to wireless services use wireless telephones with regularity. The coverage area of a wireless telecommunications network such as a cellular network including cellular mobile telephones is divided into smaller coverage areas called “cells” using low power transmitters and coverage-restricted receivers. As is well known in the art, the limited coverage area enables the radio channels used in one cell to be reused in another cell. In a typical cellular telecommunications network, as a mobile cellular telephone within one cell moves across the boundary of the cell into an adjacent cell, control circuitry associated with the cell detects that the signal strength of the telephone in the adjacent cell is stronger and communications with the mobile cellular telephone are “handed off” to the adjacent cell.
While the technology for Internet access via wireline or landline telephone systems is well established, the technology for Internet access for wireless users is now emerging. There are several standards for wireless service including, but not limited to, Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Service (DAMPS), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA, early versions being described in standards document IS-95 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,901,307 and 5,103,459 to Gilhousen et al., each being incorporated herein by reference), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA, described in standards document IS-136, incorporated herein by reference), 80211.a and 80211.b, and Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD, described in CDPD Specification, Version 1.1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,997 to Farris, each being incorporated herein by reference). In accordance with these wireless technologies, a wireless user transmits data to a mobile switching center (MSC). The MSC provides connectivity to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), certain multiplexing and control functions, and switching functions for wireless users. Multiplexed digital data from a plurality of remote wireless users is then capable of being transmitted via communication elements in the PSTN. In future technologies, the wireless data will be directed to the General Data Service Node, such as the Packet Data Service Node in CDMA, as opposed to routing to the MSC.
The high cost of computers and Internet access devices has created a barrier to entry for many consumers around the world. As an example, there has been very little penetration of Internet access devices in the Latin American market. However, Latin America has a very high penetration of televisions due to the popularity of soap operas and sports and the relative expense of television sets. With the large penetration and wide distribution of TVs in Latin America, it is logical to couple an affordable Internet access device with television. Existing products include set-top boxes (STBs) that provide Internet access via the local telephone or cable television line and use a TV as a monitor. A STB is designed to produce output on a conventional television set and connect to some other communications channels such as telephone, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), optical fiber, or cable. A router is a device which forwards packets between networks, based on network layer information and routing tables, often constructed by routing protocols. These products have no hard drives and limited RAM (Random Access Memory) capacity.
One of the most appealing features of a STB is in-home Internet access. The STB platform offers a convenient, affordable tool for accessing web pages, chatting, and e-mail. The newest and most expensive models of STBs include such things as 3-D games, on-demand video and music capabilities, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drives, VCD (Video Compact Disc) karaoke music, and digital cameras. In the Internet realm, a STB is, in effect, a specialized computer that can “talk to” the Internet—that is, it contains a web browser (which is really a HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) client) and the Internet's main program, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). STBs are manufactured by Philips, Daewoo, Netgem, Neon Technology, Paradise Innovations, and many other companies well known to those skilled in the art. STBs generally include numerous jacks and ports for audio, video, power, telephone, TV antenna, cable, and many other connections. STBs typically also come with remote wireless keyboards, and they do not necessarily have to be cable or satellite boxes.
However, one problem with Internet access using existing STBs is the unreliability of landline telephone service in many areas. Landline telephone service may not even be available in many rural areas in poorer parts of the world. However, there are existing wireless telecommunication networks in many of these same areas. In Latin America for example, existing wireless telecommunication networks are heavily used in cities but used sporadically in rural and suburban areas. These rural and suburban areas also have poor landline service if any at all.
Thus, there is a need for a system that provides Internet access to areas where landline telephone networks do not exist or are unreliable. There is also a need for a system that provides Internet access without the necessity, and expense, of a desktop or laptop personal computer, but that also allows for display of information via a conventional television set.